Understanding the psychological aspects of the radicalisation process: a sociocognitive approach

Abstract

Understanding the psychological dimensions underlying the radicalisation process is a considerable challenge in the context of the legal judicial treatment of perpetrators of acts of radical violence. This clinical and qualitative study is based on an analysis of legal expert interviews of people at different stages of the radicalisation process. It highlights common psychological characteristics in personality, mechanisms of moral neutralisation and sociocognitive and interpretive treatment during radicalisation. These observations suggest the applicability of a model of cognitive–emotional transformation of self and meaning-building in radical violent engagement.

Keywords

• forensic sciences
• forensic psychology
• radicalisation
• sociocognitive paradigm
• personality
• social cognition
• moral disengagement
• relative deprivation